Recently, mobile communication terminals, such as cellular phones, Personal Communication Service (PCS) terminals, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) terminals, smart phones, handsets, web TVs, are being well utilized when users connect to a wireless Internet through the mobile communication terminals, and receives text or image type information. Further, a commercialized Code Division Multiplex Access (CDMA)-2000 network or International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT)-2000 network is used in a wireless Internet service, so that multimedia information such as a dynamic image has been provided to users in addition to text or image type information.
Currently, most data services from mobile communication carriers and Contents Providers (CPs) have been provided through a wireless Internet based on a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP). Further, since mobile communication terminals target voice-centered communication and have small displays, only a small quantity of information can be displayed on the display. Further, since the mobile communication terminals have small keypads or touch screens as a sole input means, it is inconvenient to use the small keypads or touch screens. Accordingly, an information retrieval of the wireless Internet has depended on a directory-based menu scheme.
In particular, when a CP constructs a directory-based hierarchical menu in consideration of the small display and keypad of the mobile communication terminal, the CP lessens the number of selection items included in each menu and allows a desired webpage to be displayed through several steps.
FIG. 1 is a screen of a mobile communication terminal showing the course of using a wireless Internet by means of a conventional WAP browser.
A user connects to the wireless Internet through an Internet access menu, such as a ‘NATE’ of SK telecom, a ‘Magic-N’ of KTF and an ‘Ez-i’ of LG telecom, of the mobile communication terminal. When a first menu screen including texts appears as shown in FIG. 1a, the user selects a directory including desired contents by means of a keypad of the mobile communication terminal. When the user selects the desired sub-directory in the first menu screen, a menu screen included in the selected directory appears as shown in FIG. 1b. For example, when the user selects the ‘4. music/picture/movie’ in the first menu screen of FIG. 1a, the second menu screen appears as shown in FIG. 1b. Then, when the user selects ‘1. downloading ringing sound’ in the second menu screen, the sub-menu screen appears as shown in FIG. 1c. Further, when the user selects the sub-directory in the sub-menu screen of FIG. 1c, another sub-menu screen appears. If said another sub-menu screen is the last menu screen, contents such as a text, a picture and a dynamic image are displayed. When the user selects the contents, the corresponding contents are executed in the mobile communication terminal.
Since the WAP browser being currently used as described above displays the menu screen including only the text, the WAP browser performs only a simple information transfer function. Recently, two-dimensional images have been used to provide a visual effect, but several stationary two-dimensional images are arranged in icons on a menu and displayed through limited animations constituting a screen. Therefore, it is difficult to allow a user to clearly understand a selected menu.
Further, when specific contents are downloaded for downloading and reproducing of the corresponding contents in an existing mobile communication terminal, the contents are reproduced only after the WAP browser is closed. Herein, when there is no plug-in for reproducing the corresponding contents, the mobile communication terminal user must download the plug-in through the wireless Internet, another wire apparatus or a wire network, and install the plug-in in the mobile communication terminal. Further, it is inconvenient to the user in that the WAP browser must be closed in order to reproduce the downloaded contents by means of the downloaded plug-in. Accordingly, it is required to develop a technology capable of reproducing the contents in a state where the WAP browser is not closed.